Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-25

There stetlbtr Tor d sail, standing niotlnhle>S
ia every wind. unrocked upon the waveless
bosom Of AN ocean Of stone and brick and
iron. In every other cIty ! have seen one
may catch glnipses from the high points of
the country hey ond, and she does not feel s.s
strongly the awful isolation Of aggregated
mankind the painful absence Of God; but
Londnp Il everywhere, and walk as YOU will,
hv mig II or 10y day. its shadow is always over
You and ii hsunts You with gho>tly con
siamcy that will never down, And what is
more. II Is a. ugly a. II i big
" h-u Dickey and arrived in town we
did il quietly, and there WIS neither brass
hand nor fire company out TO receive Us, but
the ever present cabman was in the station,
and he WAS, st least, glad to see us.
What n treasure q cahmau Is, said
Dickey. as We got out of our cage in the
train We come into a strange city. know
ing NO one, and seeing no familiar face: we
stand in the station in a state OF semi dazed-
nesS, pushed and jostled, hither and Won.
tired IN limb and sick at heart, when 10. q
still small voice floats 10 Us like a lullaby:
Here you are mem. Right this way, mem.
Where shall | take you, menu! And forth
with we feel that We are not alos. in the
world and that although the cabby's friend
ship i m-rc-narv, ii is genuine, and a. loEg
as We have a shilling he may be relied upon.
quite fell IN with Dickey's wsy of think
ing for the cabman i a blessing tu the
stranger, as the stranger is to him, aud his
friendship differs only from that Of many
cnil friends in this that You know YOU are
buving cabby's while you don't know ~
much Of the other until he gives you thrust
tGst iets out morr Of your faith ia human
Kind than YOU care to lose.
let me say here. that while American cities
may have many advantages over this the
biggest civ in the world, and presumably the
most advanced. they are far inferior in the
matter OF local transportation. Bus fares
range from one penny two cents to five or
SIX pence for very long distances, and cab
fares are only shilling for two miles or less,
with the privilege Of two persons TO ride.
When remember how a New York driver
wanted IS 10 drive about a mile and a
half, on our departure from that city, think
very kindly of the London rates OF coui Sc
n London csbman is tricky, like any other
human, and If he picks you up when you
don't know where YOU are, 10 drive YOU To
Your destination. which may not be more than
I've minutes away, he will drive you for an
hour ar more and try TO make You pay at
time RATES, but you don't have to do it if
YOUR eyeIeeIh are cut A gentleman was tell
ing me the other evening how one TOOK him
Tor an American greeny and drove an hour
and half 10 take him ten squares 10 Il hotel.
tie had been in London some months and
knew the locality perfectly, but let the cab
man go. At the end Of the trip he got out
quietly and told the driver that it would not
"a. pleasant for him If the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty 10 Animals people
knew he had driven his poor horse all that
time 20 come half a mile Then be handed
him hS shilling. and cabby took IL and never
said word.
They have a way, too, Of driving very slow
on time contracts but this NAV lie rene
died by mild wink, which means an extra
shilling or siNpence. according to the time
one Uses the cab. Rates are not only reason
able but there are plenty of conveyances
aili on such streets ss the Strand, Piccadilly,
Regent, Oxford, Holborn. Fleet and various
others almost tine only vehicles one sees are
for the use OF passengers. The heavy trucks,
"xpress wagons. drays, carts and 20 on We
have on the main tboroushfares of Ameri-.
can streets do not show up here, and il they
have ANY they are confined TO their own par
ticuiar domain
l was going TO say something else on this
subject-a very important one to the traveller
when Dickey interrupted me TO inquire If
We're going 10 give a half column TO the cab
man, how much did | think the queen ought
10 have when got to her.
Ten lines, said |, sharply.
What" said sue, in surprise.
Ten lines" said I. very positively.
Why is this" said she.
Because said |. to the traveller they
tear lust about that proportion OF usefulness
10 each other. England, INV dear, could get
along mncl better without her queen than
she rnuId without her cabmen. and / am 90
ing 10 stand in with the cabmen.r
-np't uS- sang. p!ease.r said Dickey- re-
knowingly.
That r.msrk of Dickey's reminded me of
another thing have noticed in Englsnd-
namely In, absence of slang I mean ab-
...,,,,.. az ,r,onar.t with tho America, s,vla
The Englrh have their slang. but for ON.
word of it they use we use dozen
Get out, said Dckey, looking over what
had written What are You giving us?"
The truth. the whole truth and nothing
tut the truth" said /.
Il don't see il, said she
You might hear il. said |, IF you listened
for H.
Come of, said she. in guileless innocence
~ lou don't mean 10 60 back on Americans,
ID ynur
Il am able to see faults, even in my
friends" said l.. cautiously
SO am l. y said She; but ! think these
English are just about quick 20 catch on
10 the slang racket rs We are. Use slang oc-
casinnally. but not enough To hurt, | think
Anyway don't say bloody and 'blawsted,'
40. E,,.,